Miter saws are used to cut wood and other materials at precise angles. For example, compound miter saws are used to cut crown moldings, cove moldings, and other trim pieces and structural members at single or compound angles. Compound miter saws generally have a circular saw blade that is rotated at a high rate of speed to cut a workpiece. The blade is guarded by a retractable blade guard that covers the saw blade but is retracted as the blade is brought into contact with a workpiece. The workpiece is generally retained on a supporting table that, in conjunction with a fence, is used to position the workpiece for cutting by the saw blade.
Many prior art compound miter saws include a pivot arrangement allowing the adjustment of a saw blade through both a horizontal and a vertical plane. A typical pivot arrangement includes a first knuckle which pivotally connects an arm having a saw blade and a motor driving the saw blade mounted to the arm to a turntable. The first knuckle permits the saw blade to move towards and away from the turntable through a vertical plane. A second knuckle allows the the saw blade to be inclined at an angle relative to the top surface of the turntable to make a miter cut in the workpiece. Although compound miter saws are very effective in making miter and compound miter joints, the joint cuts are often imprecise and not sufficiently repeatable for detailed works, such as for fine furniture or cabinetry work. Additionally, the position locking mechanisms of many current compound miter saw pivot arrangements do not sufficiently lock the saw assembly in a cutting position, which can lead to imprecise cuts or even possible injury to the operator.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a compound miter saw having a bevel adjustment mechanism which improves the cutting accuracy of the saw blade. It is another object of the invention to provide a compound miter saw having a bevel adjustment mechanism which locks the saw assembly in position during the cutting operation. It is a further object of the invention to provide a compound miter saw having a bevel adjustment mechanism which includes a direction indicator to assist the operator in determining the angular position of the saw blade during the cutting operation.